1. HIV Risk Behaviors and Psychosexual Factors
among Young African American and Latino MSM
Participants in the Mpowerment Project
Holly H. Fisher, Gene Shelley, Tamika Hoyte,
Tanisha Grimes, Adanze Eke, Kelly Bell
National HIV Prevention Conference
August 2011
National Center for HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and TB Prevention
Division of HIV/AIDS Prevention

2. Overview
 Description of Mpowerment and evaluation study
 Process monitoring
 Individual-level outcome monitoring
 Preliminary longitudinal findings
 Communit y-level assessment
 Summary

3. What is Mpowerment?
 Communit y-level intervention for young gay and
bisexual men:
 Mobilizes men to reduce sexual risk taking
 Encourages regular HIV testing
 Builds positive social connections
 Supports peers to have safer sex
 Relies on 6 integrated core elements:
 Ongoing publicity campaign
 Formal outreach (social events, discussion groups, venues)
 M-groups
 Core group
 Informal outreach (social network communication)
 Project space

4. Purpose of Evaluation Study
Determine whether Mpowerment will produce outcomes
in communit y settings that are similar to the outcomes
that have been observed in research intervention trials

5. Participating Mpowerment Programs
 Family Health Centers of San Diego
 San Diego County
 Targets young MSM of color (aged 18 to 24) and
their partners
 CALOR
 Chicago area
 Targets Latino MSM (aged 13 to 24 during first year of 06-618; aged
18 to 24 during last year of 06-618)
 AID Atlanta
 Atlanta area
 Targets young African American, gay
and bisexual men (and MTF transgender) (aged 18 to 29)

6. Evaluation Components
 Process monitoring
 Monitor Mpowerment implementation at three community-based
organizations funded by CDC (PS06-618)
 Individual-level outcome monitoring
 Assess if Mpowerment produces desired outcomes for young gay
or bisexual men of color who participate in the program
• Baseline= before M-group participation
• Follow-up 1= 3 months after baseline date
• Follow-up 2= 6 months after baseline date
 Communit y-level assessment
 Assess if Mpowerment produces desired outcomes for young gay
or bisexual men of color in the overall community

7. PROCESS MONITORING
APRIL 2010 – JUNE 2011

8. Process Monitoring Data Collection
Which intervention activities were conducted? Adaptations?
 Mpowerment evaluation staff
 Attends all Mpowerment sessions
 Collect and enter data on activities conducted
 Submit these process data monthly to CDC
 CDC team
 Provides monthly feedback to agencies
• Data summary of activities conducted
• Feedback on data quality issues

9. Ongoing Publicity Campaigns
How were participants recruited and enrolled into the
intervention?
 Delivery methods
 In person
 Internet
 Pamphlets and brochures
 Average of 22 publicit y campaigns conducted
across the 3 agencies

10. Formal Outreach: Venue-based
How were participants recruited and enrolled into the
intervention?
 Types of venues
 Nightclubs
 Bars
 Parks
 Schools
 Average of 56 venue-based outreach events
conducted across the 3 agencies

11. Formal Outreach: Social Events
How were participants recruited and enrolled into the
intervention?
 Types of social events:
 Volleyball/dodge ball/ice skating
 Six flags
 Potlucks/luncheons
 Movie nights
 Listening parties
Average number of social events conducted across 59
three agencies Range 40-71
Average event length (in min.) 189
Average number of people attending 15

12. Formal Outreach: Discussion Groups
How were participants recruited and enrolled into the
intervention?
 Discussion group topics:
 Health issues
 Dating
 Sexuality
 Movies/Music
 Finances
Average number of discussion groups 64
conducted across three agencies Range 9-117
Average group length (in min.) 114
Average number of people attending 12

13. M-groups
Which intervention activities were conducted?
 Topics discussed:
 Interpersonal issues
 Safer sex guidelines
 How to have fun, hot safer sex
 Fun with condoms
 Negotiating safer sex
 Encouraging friends to have safer sex
Average number of M-groups conducted across the 32
three agencies Range 16-47
Average session length (in minutes) 132
Average number of people attending 8

14. Core Groups
Which intervention activities were conducted?
 Core group ratings:
 Sufficient size group to carry out activities
 Participants seem empowered to make vital decisions
 Group represents diversity of community
 Meeting is productive, fun and social
 Meeting addresses HIV prevention
 Participants appear to support each other in safer sexual behaviors
Average number of core groups conducted across 28
three agencies Range 14-54
Average session length (in minutes) 202
Average number of people attending 8
1= Does not describe the session at all to 5= Describes the session very well.

15. Client Participation
200 184
180
160
140 127
120
100 92 92 93 Agency A
71 76 73
80 Agency B
60 Agency C
39
40 30
16 17
20
0
Social events Discussion M-groups Core groups
groups
Note: Not every Mpowerment client was eligible or chose to enroll in the evaluation part of Mpowerment.

16. INDIVIDUAL-LEVEL OUTCOME MONITORING
MAY 2010 – JUNE 2011

17. Individual-level Outcome Monitoring
How are individual level data collected and processed?
 Mpowerment evaluation staff
 Collect data from clients using a self-administered survey on a
handheld device/laptop
 Use the Questionnaire Development System software (QDS) for
surveys
 Submit data monthly to CDC
 CDC team
 Provides monthly feedback to agencies
• Data summary
• Feedback on data quality issues

18. Data collected to date (June 2011)
Agency Baseline Follow-up Follow-up
1 2 Recruitment
goal= 160
A 187 117 77 Retention
goal=120
B 112 89 69
C 183 82 42
Overall:
482 baseline surveys
288 follow-up 1 surveys
188 follow-up 2 surveys

19. Participant Characteristics at Baseline
Agency A Agency B Agency C
Participant characteristics (N=187) (N=112) (N=183)
Race/ethnicit y No. (%) No. (%) No. (%)
Hispanic 83 (44%) 110 (98%) -
Non-Hispanic White 32 (17%) 1 (1%) 1 (1%)
Non-Hispanic African American 18 (10%) - 160 (87%)
Non-Hispanic Other* 54 (29%) 1 (1%) 22 (12%)
Age
Less than or equal to 17 yrs 1 (1%) 40 (16%) 6 (3%)
18-24 yrs 186 (99%) 72 (64%) 136 (74%)
Greater than or equal to 25yrs - - 41 (22%)
HIV-positive 8 (5%) 2 (3%) 35 (19%)
*Non-Hispanic other includes: American Indian or Alaska Native, Asian, Native Hawaiian or
Pacific Islander, and Multi-racial

20. Participant Risk Behaviors at Baseline
Agency A Agency B Agency C
In the last 3 months (N=187) (N=112) (N=183)
No. (%) No. (%) No. (%)
Substance use:
Alcohol 152 (81%) 67 (60%) 106 (58%)
Marijuana 57 (27%) 24 (21%) 33 (18%)
Sexual behavior:
Had sex with male 134 (72%) 62 (55%) 145 (79%)
Had unprotected sex with a 70 (52%) 40 (65%) 57 (39%)
male
-

21. PRELIMINARY LONGITUDINAL
FINDINGS

22. Unprotected sex with male partners (last 3 months)
Reduction in sexual risk taking after receiving Mpowerment?
100%
90%
80%
70%
60% Agency A
50% Agency B
40% Agency C
30% Overall
20%
10%
0%
Baseline FU1 N= 272

23. Has ever tested for HIV (Lifetime)
Was HIV testing increased?
100%
90%
80%
70%
60% Agency A
50% Agency B
40% Agency C
30% Overall
20%
10%
0%
Baseline FU1 N= 272

24. Talked to their friends about the importance of
safer sex (last 3 months)
Did peers support one another to have safer sex?
100%
90%
80%
70%
60% Agency A
50% Agency B
40% Agency C
30% Overall
20%
10%
0%
Baseline FU1 N= 272

25. Satisfaction with safe anal sex (last 3 months)
Changes in psychosexual factors after receiving Mpowerment?
4
3.5
3
2.5 Agency A
2 Agency B
1.5 Agency C
1 Overall
0.5
0
Baseline FU1 N=272
0=Not at all satisfied to 4=Extremely satisfied

26. COMMUNITY-LEVEL ASSESSMENT
SUMMER 2011 AND 2012

27. Community-level assessment
methods and timeline
 Will be conducted at two time points
 June -July 2011
 May-June 2012
 100 individuals from each site interviewed at each time
point, using hand-held devices
 Agencies will interview young men at venues where
clients were found for the evaluation data collection, or
similar venues
 Participants will be screened according to project
criteria (age, sexual behavior, time in area, cannot be a
previous participant in the evaluation data collection)

28. Summary
 Sites have made changes in the planning and delivery
of program, resulting in better recruitment
 High levels of enthusiasm and commitment among
Mpowerment staff to implement program
 Regular collaboration between CDC and Mpowerment
staff to coordinate evaluation activities and
troubleshoot problems
 CDC provides monthly feedback to agencies on their
data, two weeks after agency data submission to CDC

29. Summary
 Mpowerment activities appear to be well-received by
participants
 Young MSM of color are being reached through
Mpowerment
 Preliminary data trends show Mpowerment goals
below are being accomplished:
 Mobilizes men to reduce sexual risk taking
 Encourages regular HIV testing
 Builds positive social connections
 Supports peers to have safer sex
 Successful use of hand-held devices

30. Questions
For more information please contact Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
1600 Clifton Road NE, Atlanta, GA 30333
Telephone: 1-800-CDC-INFO (232-4636)/TTY: 1-888-232-6348
E-mail: cdcinfo@cdc.gov Web: http://www.cdc.gov
The findings and conclusions in this report are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official position of the
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
National Center for HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis, STD , and TB Prevention
Division of HIV/AIDS Prevention